Mischo Beauty: coarse hair

Showing posts with label coarse hair. Show all posts

Mischo Beauty School: Hair Relaxers 101 & Phytospecific

I'm inviting those of you who might need a refresher on the difference between "lye" and "no lye" hair relaxers to visit my "Mischo Beauty School: Hair Relaxers 101" post from last month, and please feel free to leave questions for me in the comments section. I'm shifting the focus of today's post to Phytospecific's Level 2 Collection, which is formulated to "hydrate and nourish ultra-dry hair".

And so to clarify, this collection is also for color-treated and relaxed hair and is formulated with plant extracts and essential oils. About 95% of my hair falls into the "ultra-dry" category, and the other 5% falls into the "relaxed" category (I still have relaxer on my ends in certain areas) - so this collection was perfect for me!

I started with the Intense Nutrition Shampoo, which I think I used a little more than was required (hence the crumpled tube pictured above!). The shampoo is formulated with macadamia, kukui and castor oils and it's consistency was a lot thinner than I'd expected- I believe that's why I used more than was actually needed. It lathered, had a very mild scent and rinsed with no issues.

I used the Intense Nutrition Mask as a deep conditioning treatment, leaving it on for 20 minutes while sitting under a hooded-hair dryer. It's a nourishing conditioner with sunflower, mango and rapeseed oils and it worked like magic! Loved it! It softened and completely detangled my hair and that's a huge deal! My hair type is 4B and when it gets wet, it's very hard to detangle. After using the mask, I was surprised and delighted - I highly recommend it!

The Integral Hair Care is a leave-in conditioner formulated with wheat protein, pro-vitamin B5 and hibiscus flower extract. It protects against heat styling and UV rays. It was my second favorite product in the collection. I applied this leave-in to my hair while wet and proceeded to blow-dry and flat iron my hair. My finish was AMAZING! Let me repeat that, my finish was AMAZING! My type 4B hair was smooth, shiny and had body and movement. Loved. this. product!

The only product I didn't use was the Moisturizing Styling Balm. My hair seemed to be satisfied with what I'd already used and I loved my finish, so I didn't feel the need to use it. But, just so you're aware-the styling balm is formulated with althea and sunflower extracts, is meant to be used daily and provides light hold and shine. It also protects against UV rays.

Phytospecific products are formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, petro-chemicals and phthalates. The Level 1 Collection is formulated to hydrate normal to dry hair, and the Level 3 Collection is formulated to hydrate, nourish and repair damaged or brittle hair.

I love what I've tried so far and highly recommend it! Have you tried Phytospecific products? If so, any thoughts you'd like to share?

Beautiful hair needs an expert: No Frizz by Living Proof

For those of you who constantly deal with frizzy hair, you'll want to consider trying No Frizz by Living Proof. "Straight Making" and "Wave Shaping/Curl Defining" are styling aids which were developed "to do what silicones can't: eliminate frizz by blocking humidity". I love the fact that these products have a formulation for your specific hair type: fine to medium hair, medium to thick hair and thick to coarse hair.

You all know that I advise on using products for your specific hair, skin or nail needs/issues and so the fact that these products are broken down by hair type and need, makes them worth trying! They are available beginning February 2009 and because I love Tracee Ellis Ross' hair so much I'm recommending this line for her!

Beautiful hair needs an expert: Ellin LaVar PenetratingBalm

I've been testing out Ellin Lavar Textures' PenetratingBalm and I highly recommend it for dry, coarse and naturally curly hair. My hair falls into the 4b hair type category, so my natural hair is thick and coarse. This is a great moisturizing leave-in conditioner, that helps to detangle and soften hair. After using this, I found my hair to be very manageable and easy to section off for blow-drying.

The texture of the PenetratingBalm is somewhat thick and very creamy, and a little goes a long way. This would also be a good moisturizing styling aid for those of you with dry, naturally curly hair. It's formulated with an oil from the seeds of Brazil's passion-flower fruit called Maracuja. This oil works to nourish the hair, which is very important during this dry winter season, and it works to control frizz and keep curls shiny and defined.

I'm recommending that Tracee Ellis Ross use this to nourish and hydrate her naturally curly hair and I'm recommending this for you as well! Questions? Did anyone see Ellin's reality show "Hair Trauma" on WE TV? If so, what did you think?

Mischo Beauty Alert: Miss Jessie's Salon Is Back!

I just received an email blast announcing the reopening of Miss Jessie's Salon. Not exactly sure why it closed in the first place, but according to the email, Miko Branch (co-owner & head stylist) seems to be in the salon without her sister Titi. I had to show love to these women, as they were the very first post that started my little blog and I absolutely LOVE their entrepreneurial spirit- and also due to the fact that my mother loves their products too!

Have you tried Miss Jessie's products?

Mischo Beauty Pick: Wella's SP Power Mask

I've said this before and I must say it again for all my new readers. I discovered this deep conditioning treatment while training with Vidal Sassoon. It's the best conditioner I've used thus far for coarse, damaged or bleached hair.

It replaces much needed moisture lost during chemical services, returns the hair to it's normal pH and it smooths and seals the hair's cuticle, resulting in soft, shiny hair. My recommendation is to use it bi-weekly while sitting under a hooded hair dryer for 20 minutes.

Mischo Beauty Pick

Another one of my favorite product lines is Davines. It’s a line of hair care products from Europe, with a range of products for every hair type. I was introduced to these products during my first salon apprenticeship. After having worked countless hours as a shampoo assistant, I grew to love the results I witnessed firsthand.

My absolute favorite is the Love Shampoo & Conditioner (Lovely Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner). It’s a combination of Indian Fig extract, rice proteins, olive oil and vitamin E, resulting in a rich blend of conditioners and moisturizers that work to nourish the hair. The result is always soft hair with a smooth cuticle.

I highly recommend the products for dry, coarse or curly hair. And guess what, just in time to share LOVE for Valentine’s Day…

Mischo Beauty School: Hair Porosity 101

Let's discuss the hair's porosity. Porosity means the ability of the hair to absorb and retain moisture and is used to describe the condition of hair. It falls into the following categories:

a. Very porous
b. Porous
c. Normal
d. Resistant

A “normal” porosity will mean that the cuticle is closed and smooth. Healthy hair will usually have a normal to resistant cuticle, depending on the texture. ”Porous” to “very porous” hair will have a roughened cuticle meaning that the hair is probably damaged. It usually loses moisture very easy and is easily damaged.

To determine the porosity of your hair, feel it - both when wet and dry. If it feels straw-like and rough when dry, or if it feels gummy or slightly rubbery when wet, then you probably have a problem with porous to very porous hair. You should consult your stylist before receiving any chemical services in order to prevent further damage. Haircolor will take much more quickly and strongly and perms and relaxers will process much faster in porous to very porous hair.

Porous to very porous hair can be caused by:

1. Over coloring
2. Bleaching
3. Permanent Waving
4. Relaxing
5. Flat/curling irons
6. Improper blow-drying
7. Environment (sun, salt/chlorinated water)

Love your hair.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions!

Mischo Beauty School: Hair Relaxers & Thinning/Breakage 101

I’ve received many questions on the use of hair relaxers resulting in thinning hair and hair breakage, so I’ve decided to address the issue. Damage from relaxers may result from a number of reasons. At any rate, the problem could be due to one of the following:

1. The "strength" of the relaxer might be stronger than that needed for your particular hair texture. Relaxers come in "mild, regular or super" strengths.

2. Your stylist may not be applying the relaxer properly. It should ONLY be applied to the NEW hair growth, every 6-8 weeks. No overlapping onto previously relaxed hair!

3. Thermal styling may be an issue. Are you frequently using a curling iron, flat iron or blow-dryer? If so, that will definitely contribute to thinning/breakage.

4. Do you color your hair? If you use permanent haircolor, the application should be at least two weeks after relaxing or you will experience thinning/breakage. You should only be using a mild relaxer.

If you're thinning near the scalp, then it's probably from improper application or overlapping of the relaxer onto the previously relaxed hair. If you're thinning along the length of the hair, then it's probably due to excessive heat from a curling/flat iron, blow-drying or constant chemical overprocessing.

Hopefully your stylist will identify the problem and offer you a new haircare regimen. If you feel that your problem is different from those listed above, I'd recommend you visit a Dermatologist.

Love your hair.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions!

Mischo Beauty School: Hair Relaxers 101

Let’s understand the difference between “lye” and “no-lye” hair relaxers. Relaxers break certain chemical bonds in the hair so that they can’t reform. This simply means that hair that was once curly, is now permanently straightened. Certain relaxers use “lye” to break these bonds. Lye is a very strong chemical base that can burn your skin and damage your hair if not used correctly. With "no lye" relaxers, another chemical is used in the place of lye and is considered a medium strength base. Research has shown that the use of "no lye" relaxers results in less scalp irritation, but the same safety rules apply. Both types of relaxers can burn the scalp if used incorrectly. It’s wrong to assume that compared to “lye” relaxers, "no lye" relaxers take the worry out of straightening your hair. Both types of relaxers contain caustic chemicals.

If you choose to apply your own relaxer, please ask for help. You aren’t able to see and reach the top and back of your hair and this could lead to an improper application of the relaxer. Also, making sure that the relaxer is thoroughly rinsed can be a challenge. Relaxers should be used based on manufacturer’s instructions, left on no longer than the prescribed time, carefully washed out with neutralizing shampoo, and followed up with regular conditioning. If you’re in doubt, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Love your hair.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions!

Mischo Beauty Pick

I love this product! I use it as a blow-drying serum because I've discovered that it smooths the cuticle while I'm blow-drying my hair, and leaves it shiny. I also use it a few times a week as a moisturizer when my ends begin to dry out.

Mischo Beauty School: Haircuts 101

I’ve recently received the same question with regards to how to go about achieving a great haircut. Every haircut is made up of a combination of basic techniques used to create varying shapes and effects on the hair. When choosing a haircut, I recommend the following:

- Consultation with stylist (discuss face shape, hair texture and lifestyle)
- Review haircut pictures with stylist
- Consider home maintenance requirements
- Be realistic

Taking the above into consideration will ensure that you and the stylist agree on the best direction and achieve the desired end result.

Love your hair.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions!

Mischo Beauty Pick: Wella SP Power Mask

I discovered this conditioner while working for Vidal Sassoon. It's the best conditioner I've used so far... for very coarse, damaged or bleached hair.

Mischo Beauty School: Hair Texture 101

Let's understand hair texture. Hair texture is often a point of confusion, but simply means the diameter of each individual hair. The texture of hair generally falls into one of the following five categories:

a. Very Coarse
b. Coarse
c. Average
d. Fine
e. Very Fine

The coarser the hair, the thicker the cuticle and larger the cortex, so stronger coarser hair textures will be able to withstand stronger chemicals and rougher treatments than fine hair.

Hair textures have nothing to do with the quantity of individual hairs on the head so it is possible to have a thick head of fine hair and on the other hand a thin distribution of coarse hair. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions! Love your hair.